Former Delhi Mayor Farhad Suri has approached the Supreme Court alleging that a large team of Ghaziabad Police raided his Delhi residence at midnight while looking for journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, who reported about the Ram Mandir donation theft.
Suri has alleged that the police team, led by Ghaziabad Assistant Commissioner of Police Suryabali Maurya, arrived at his Nizamuddin East residence in the intervening night of August 22 and 23 at around 12:45 am.
Suri has sought directions from the Court for registration of an FIR against the police officials and an independent investigation into the incident.
According to the plea, the police initially told Suri that they were looking for an accused in a double murder case registered at Indirapuram who they believed was hiding in his house.
When Suri asked to see a search warrant, the police could not produce one or offer any explanation for the search, the plea states.
Suri says he then contacted the SHO of Police Station Hazrat Nizamuddin, who told him that the local police had only been informed of a UP Police team's visit to Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, and had no information about which premises the team intended to search.
The plea states that Suri later learnt the police team had in fact come pursuant to FIR No. 678/2026, registered at Police Station Indirapuram in Ghaziabad - the same FIR that names journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, and not any double murder case as he had originally been told.
Upadhyay's own challenge to this FIR is currently pending before the top court. He has alleged the FIR - emerging from a road rage case- was a counter blast to target him for his investigative reports on the Ram Mandir Trust and alleged corruption in the Uttar Pradesh administration.
The Supreme Court had on August 25 granted Upadhyay protection from arrest in the case and directed that no coercive action be taken against him in the FIR or any other FIR that may be registered against him.
Pertinently, Ghaziabad ACP Maurya who led the police team to Suri's residence is also the investigating officer in Upadhyay's road rage FIR.
Suri's plea further states that he submitted complaints to the Delhi Police on August 23, seeking registration of an FIR and investigation into the incident. He also sought identification of the police personnel and other persons involved, preservation of CCTV footage, tracing of call-detail records and identification of the vehicles used by the police team.
According to the petition, however, no FIR has been registered on his complaint. Instead, the complaint was forwarded between senior police officers, including the Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) and the Joint Commissioner of Police, Southern Range.
Suri also approached the National Human Rights Commission on August 25, seeking protection of his life, liberty and equality and an inquiry into the conduct of the police officials.
The petition before the top court now seeks an independent investigation into the alleged raid, including examination of CCTV footage, call-detail records, wireless communications, vehicle records and other electronic evidence.
Suri has also sought directions to identify the approximately 50 persons whom he alleges were involved in or facilitated the operation.
The petition also seeks guidelines governing inter-State police operations, particularly searches of residential premises. These include prior written communication to the local police, approval from the competent authority, production and verification of warrants, identification of all members of a police team and preservation of CCTV and other electronic records.
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